Articles by CarsGuide team

A 60-car showroom is an expected part of the blueprint when you're building the third biggest BMW dealership on the planet. A 5000-bottle wine cellar and pizza oven aren't the customary dealership fare but Ingo Reisch isn't a conventional dealership owner. Reisch invested $15 million to transform the Doncaster BMW showroom in Melbourne's east into a hi-tech automotive retail outlet. The showroom also sells Minis and BMW motorbikes. BMW -- and prestige car rivals -- are viewing it as an indicator of how showrooms should evolve. "BMW is the world's most sustainable car company and I thought we should carry that philosophy through on the retail side," Reisch says. Beyond the glossy facade is a focus on minimising the dealership's environmental footprint. It has double the insulation required by the building code, it stores 122,000 litres of rainwater for washing the vehicles and photovoltaic film has been applied to the windows to generate 10kW of "green'' power to help run the complex. Sensors in the showrooms measure the amount of natural light and adjust LED arrays accordingly. In the back offices, motion sensors turn the lights on and off. "Some of the new technology is like our cars -- pretty amazing. We're also setting up a new body shop in Doncaster and the (paint) ovens use 90 per cent less energy than a regular unit but give a better result,'' Reisch says. "That in turn gives us a commercial edge because our overheads are lower.'' Reisch cites the improvements in diesel as among the biggest industry shifts he's witnessed. "Eight, nine, 10 years ago, diesels were seen as an agricultural engine,'' he says. "You might get the odd farmer buy one because he already had diesel tanks but that was about it. "Now 50-60 per cent of our sales are diesel. It's all about squeezing the most energy you can out of the fuel and customers now appreciate that.''  

Being developed as part of Stockland's North Lakes community, the new automotive precinct is due to open in late 2013, with a service station also expected on the site.They will be on Staplyton St in the North Lakes Town Centre, close to Westfield shopping centre and a Masters Home Improvement store opening in August.Stockland project director for North Lakes, Richard Rhydderch, said the mini-motoring precinct was another boost for the development. "Currently this area is serviced by car dealerships as far afield as Aspley, Kedron or Redcliffe so these new businesses will provide more local options for car buyers,'' he said.Brisbane dealer Joe Camilleri is aiming to open his planned Lakes Hyundai dealership by late next year.Mr Camilleri, owner of Grand Prix Mazda, said: "The response I've had in North Lakes has been very encouraging. I want to hire as many staff locally as possible. I'll need everything from technicians to car-washers,'' he said.

With the brand getting ready to launch in Australia, it might eventually make it here next year to compete in a growing segment. Opel Mokka is the first German entrant in the growing sub-compact SUV segment. It's a good looking five seater with innovative technologies and an upmarket feel — a bit like a like a distilled version of larger SUV. Mokka can be specified with front or on demand all wheel drive  Power is provided by three engines. All manual transmissions are equipped with fuel saving start/stop system. The petrol engines are an 85 kW, 1.6-litre, naturally-aspirated unit as well as a 103 kW,1.4-litre Turbo with 200Nm.  The turbodiesel is a 93 kW, 1.7-litre CDTI with 300Nm. Both the 1.4 Turbo and the 1.7 CDTI are available with either with six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. Mokka introduces a string of driver assistance systems based on the Opel Eye front camera system, as well as a rear view camera. The seating that has been certified by AGR — the German healthy back organisation. Mokka also offers a fully integrated, latest generation Flex-Fix bicycle carrier that is exclusive to Opel. The vehicle is designed for people with active lifestyles. Standard features that enhance the driving experience across all Mokka versions include the stability control, hill start assist and hill descent control. The Advanced Adaptive Forward Lighting which increases driving safety includes high beam assist. The new generation Opel Eye front camera is also available. It gives the driver access to several functions including lane departure warning and traffic sign recognition.  

...Drool. Check your bank balance. Sigh.

The Dualis and X-Trail will be getting Around View Monitor system, which has been designed to be easy-to-see, easy-to-use, and easy-to-understand. Using four separate cameras, the monitor displays an image of the vehicle from above. This helps the driver to visually confirm the vehicle's relation to the lines around the parking space, the kerbside as well as surrounding parked cars. Until now this safety technology has usually featured on more expensive luxury vehicles, but Nissan is bringing the technological innovation of Around View Monitor to cars priced under $50,000. The Dualis Ti-L and X-Trail Ti (petrol) and TL (diesel) models will be fitted with the technology. "Nissan prides itself on being able to introduce the latest technological and safety innovations into the volume market and Around View Monitor is the latest example of this," Nissan's Bill Peffer said.  

The milestone was reached in June after 76 years and 11 months. Placed end to end, the 200 million vehicles would stretch around the equator more than 22 times, using the 4.545-metre Corolla sedan as an average. The first official Toyota was a Model G1 truck produced in August 1935 by Toyota Automatic Loom Works Ltd's automotive department, which was spun off and later became TMC. It took TMC more than 50 years to produce its first 50-million vehicles a milestone passed when Bob Hawke was Prime Minister in 1985.  The pace of production has quickened rapidly with the second 50 million taking just over 11 years, while it took a further nine years to raise the total to 150 million. The most recent 50 million were produced in a mere six years and five months at a rate of one vehicle almost every four seconds. Toyota has produced 145 million vehicles in Japan and 55 million in other countries, including Australia. The company's most popular car in Australia and the world is the Corolla, which accounts for approximately one out of every five Toyotas ever sold. Toyota has been the best-selling new-car brand in Australia for the past nine years and is again the market leader so far in 2012.  

...of Discovery Channel's Shark Week on August 12.